Colleges: Quinsigamond CC and its players both get acquainted with softball

Rachel Frisch was a T&G Super Team selection last spring after leading Worcester Tech to a Colonial Athletic League title, but the former Eagles ace didn't think she'd get a chance to play softball this year at Quinsigamond Community College.

The school hadn't fielded a softball team in three years.

Enter Brian LaHair, a Maynard native, who was hired as softball coach in January and spent the winter months sending e-mails, handing out flyers and spreading the word to prospective players.

Nine came out at first. Then the number dwindled to seven. For the Wyverns' first game on Sunday, there were 14 players wearing QCC uniforms.

"It's been good," said Frisch, who has resumed her role as No. 1 starter. "Everyone is working hard and trying to get an actual team going. Coach LaHair has done a lot. He's really into it. He wants to see you do well, he wants to see you get better and he wants to see you win."

The 26-year-old LaHair played baseball at Maynard High and is a graduate of UMass. He coached the junior varsity softball team at Ashland High last year. If his name sounds familiar it's because he is the cousin of former Holy Name High baseball stars Jeff and Bryan LaHair.

"We had realistic goals coming into the season," LaHair said. "We had to get the team together quickly, but we think we can win every game. These girls give it their all and try to be better every day. That's all I can ask."

Sunday's doubleheader at Massasoit Community College was the QCC team's first time together on a softball field. The Wyverns have been practicing in the gym. On Monday, they had their first outdoor practice on the soccer field. QCC will play all 14 of its games this season on the road. Several members of the team are playing softball for the first time.

In addition to being full-time students, most of the players work, so getting together for practice has also been a challenge.

"We really try to accommodate their schedules," said LaHair, who has a hectic daily itinerary of his own. "We've been practicing at 7 every night and we make do with what we have."

In addition to coaching at QCC, LaHair is a credit recovery administrator at Chelsea High and a doctoral student at Northeastern.spt

Kristin Hurley of Worcester played four years of softball at Burncoat High. She attended Becker, took some time off from school, and is now in her second year at Quinsigamond.

"I always wanted to go to school and continue to play," said the 22-year-old Hurley, "but I had to work. I saw an e-mail about the team and I was interested in playing again. It's difficult for everyone to be here because a lot of people work, but if you really love the sport, why not play? It's good that there is a team. I loved softball and coming back it's great. Coach LaHair is a great coach and he really put a lot into it."

Hurley and Frisch have been terrific working with QCC's inexperienced players, LaHair said.

In the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, the Wyverns jumped on Massasoit, 6-0, but the defense had some struggles and QCC went on to drop both ends, 13-7 and 10-0.

"Being on the field for the first time, I think we did all right," Frisch said. "We hit the ball well; we need to work more on defense. Once we get outside and practicing more, I think we'll get it more. The whole team is trying hard and working hard."

Robbed in ESPN debut

It probably wasn't the way Assumption senior Ysander Figueroa dreamed he would be on ESPN, but the outfielder/pitcher from Worcester made the highlights of SportsCenter's Top 10 Sunday night.

In the first inning of the first game of AC's doubleheader at Southern New Hampshire earlier in the day, Penmen senior center fielder Brendan O'Brien ran and leaped over the fence in left-center to rob Figueroa of a home run.

The catch checked in at No. 2 on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays of the day.

Figueroa got some redemption later, when he cracked a two-run homer in the third inning. He also earned the save in Game 2 as the Greyhounds split the doubleheader.

Spinelli an Eagle

Leominster native Scott Spinelli has joined the staff of Boston College new men's basketball coach, Jim Christian.

Spinelli spent the last three seasons as the associate head coach at Maryland, and was previously an assistant at Wichita State and Texas A&M, all under head coach Mark Turgeon.

"We are excited to have Scott join our basketball staff here at Boston College," Christian said. "He is an outstanding young coach, a proven recruiter, and he has developed strong relationships in the New England area. Scott has had success everywhere he's coached and he has a few important qualities I was looking for — the ability to recruit and coach at a high level, and to develop the student-athletes in our program."